Cha Xi- Tea setups/ the decor and stylized implement placements by the Tea Master/ sometimes mistakenly also known as a Water Bowl for GongFu teacups

Darjeeling - a town in the state of West Bengal in India

Fair cup - see Justice pot

Funnel - for channelling tea leaves into the teapot

Furogama - a Japanese brazier used in a tea ceremony

Gaiwan - A three piece porcelain set up to brew tea, consisting of a lid, handleless cup and saucer; its a covered bowl.

Gaibei - is a covered cup, smaller size than a gaiwan

Gong Fu Cha- Old man's tea, a brewing method.

Green tea - One of the 7 classifications of tea. Hishaku - bamboo water ladle

Justice cup- For equal distribution of brewed tea from the standpoint concerntration of the infusion.

Ju Zhong - means a brewing cup

Kama - kettle

Koryo- is a small Korean infuser that is made up of a cup, infuser basket, and a round saucer that doubles as a base or a lid. It is made from clay and is often glazed inside and out.

Kyusu teapot - A Japanese style teapot with the handles placed on the side that resembles an old chinese herb pot

Mizusashi -jar for containing water/water vessel

Monkey Pick- An oolong tea.

Matcha - finely powdered Japanese green tea

Oolong - One of the 7 classifications of tea.

Pincers - Used for removing tea sediments from the teapot.

Prefecture-level city - An urban centre with a non-rural population over 250,000 with the gross output of value of industry of 200,000,000 RMB; with the economic output of the tertiary industry superseding that of the primary industry, thereby contributing to over 35% of the GDP. Renminbi - The renminbi is the currency of the People's Republic of China. The principal unit is the yuan , subdivided into 10 jiao , each of 10 fen .

Shui fang 茶盂- water bowls for used and spent tea leaves and tea brews; a waste receptacle for tea leaves and tea / sometimes also used for fresh water to brew tea with

Shui xi - 水洗 - waste water bowls like a Shui Fang

Southern Silk Road - Was a winding network/paths of mule/horse caravans going through the mountains of Yunnan Province into the Southwest of China. This, over a thousand years ago was the land trade link from the city of Chang'an (Xi'an) towards the Indian Ocean. This road is commonly known as The tea and horse road. Economic trade goods carried along this route were tea and horses, rarely silk.

Tea- A liquid infusion made from the Camellia Thea Sinensis plant.

Tea and horse road - This is also known as Chamagudao, the oldest horse caravan trade route in Asia spanning from Southwest China - Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, running along the eastern foothills of the mountain ranges Hengduan (China's centre of tea production) crossing this mountain range and deep canyons of the Yalong and Jingsa rivers (tributeries of the upper yangtze river), the Lancang (tributary of the Mekong River), the Nu (Salween) and then spanning across the two highest plateaus Qinghai in Tibet and Yunnan-Guizhou in China, into south of the Himalayas in India.

Tea Flush- Refers to picking of teas

Tea receptacle - For showing tea leaves.

Tea pitcher - see Justice cup

Tit Kuan Yin - an oolong tea associated with a legend of a tea plantation

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

This would depend on the strength of tea desired and style of brewing.

Taiwan High Mountain Tea is known as Gao Shan oolong cha.

This is the top of the oolong tea world.

It is the best of the best.

These tea plants were brought over by the fleeing Ming dynasty supporters to Taiwan in the 17th century.

They came from the Fukkien province of China during the Manchu dynasty takeover.

These tea plants have been cultivated for over 350 years in the Highlands of Taiwan.

They are considered the best in the tea world and the favorite among tea connoisseurs.

This is a semi-fermented tea.

It retains retains all of the nutrients and antioxidants

contained in unfermented green tea.

It goes through a brief brief fermentation process eliminating harsh

irritants from the raw tea.

Subtle fragrances and flavors are retained and enhanced,

which distinguishes this tea from all other varieties.

It contains the least amount of tannins when compared to fully fermented teas.

The cultivation and appreciation of High Mountain Oolong is unique with each plantation as well as each mountain producing its own distinctive bouquet of flavors, and each year's harvest yielding its own special character influenced by the weather and seasons.